(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication support system adapted to connect a telephone unit and a data processing device through a communication control device to a telephone network, wherein a ringing sound control processing is performed in response to a call from the telephone network to the telephone unit by using the communication control device and the data processing device. Further, the present invention relates to a computer readable medium which stores program code instructions for causing a processor to execute a ringing sound control processing in response to a call from a telephone network to a telephone unit in a communication support system.
In recent years, personal computers for home use are becoming widespread and modems are enhancing the popularity in personal computers. The increasing prevalence of the personal computers having a built-in modem makes it easier to access the Internet or other communication links through telephone lines. The telephone lines have been shared by the computers and the telephones.
In recent developments, there is a demand for a useful, advanced communication support system in which a ringer signal processing is performed upon incoming of a call from a telephone network by using the personal computer having a built-in modem, in order to provide computer-assisted telephone services for the telephone user. However, in existing communication support systems, the computer-assisted telephone services are provided only by locally operating the data processing device, and the telephones and the computers are separately used. It is desired to provide a communication support system which allows the telephone user to easily obtain such computer-assisted telephone services.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A conventional communication support system which provides existing telephone services by executing an application program installed in the system is known. Such a communication support system is adapted to connect a telephone unit and a data processing device through a communication control device to a telephone network. The telephone unit is, for example, a telephone set. The telephone network is, for example, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or an integrated services digital network (ISDN). The application program is installed in the data processing device to provide the telephone services, and the application program is executed while the data processing device is connected through the communication control device to the telephone unit. The data processing device is, for example, a personal computer. The communication control device is, for example, a modem or a terminal adapter.
In the above-mentioned conventional system, the telephone unit is always connected through the communication control device to the telephone network regardless of whether a call from the telephone network arrives at the telephone unit. The telephone unit directly receives a ringer signal upon incoming of a call from the telephone network, and outputs a ringing sound in accordance with the ringer signal.
In the above-mentioned conventional system, the telephone unit outputs a ringing sound upon incoming of a call from the telephone network. It is impossible for the conventional communication support system to control a ringing sound on/off in response to the incoming call. In addition, it is impossible for the conventional communication support system to carry out a ringing sound control processing in which the telephone unit rings out by one of a plurality of special ringer patterns in response to the incoming call.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved communication support system in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication support system which carries out a ringing sound control processing and a determination processing in parallel wherein the ringing sound on/off of the telephone unit is controlled in response to the call from the telephone network, or the telephone unit is controlled to ring out by a specified one of a plurality of special ringer patterns.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a communication control device in the communication support system in which the ringing sound on/off of the telephone unit is controlled in response to the call from the telephone network, or the telephone unit is controlled to ring out by a specified one of a plurality of special ringer patterns.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable medium in which the ringing sound on/off of the telephone unit is controlled in response to the call from the telephone network, or the telephone unit is controlled to ring out by a specified one of a plurality of special ringer patterns.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a communication support system adapted to connect a telephone unit through a transmission path of a communication control device to a telephone network and adapted to connect a data processing device through the communication control device to the telephone network, the communication support system comprising: a switching unit which connects the telephone unit through the transmission path to the telephone network when the switching unit is set in a first state, and disconnects the telephone unit from the telephone network by cutting off the transmission path when the switching unit is set in a second state; a ringer detection unit which detects a ringer signal from the telephone network; a determination unit which determines, in response to the detection of the ringer signal by the ringer detection unit, whether the switching unit is to be set in one of the first state and the second state in accordance with first switching control data stored in the data processing device; and a switching control unit which controls setting of the switching unit in one of the first state and the second state in response to a control signal, indicative of the determination, sent by the determination unit.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a communication control device adapted to connect a telephone unit through a transmission path to a telephone network and adapted to connect a data processing device through the communication control device to the telephone network, the communication control device comprising: a switching unit which connects the telephone unit through the transmission path to the telephone network when the switching unit is set in a first state, and disconnects the telephone unit from the telephone network by cutting off the transmission path when the switching unit is set in a second state; a ringer detection unit which detects a ringer signal from the telephone network; and a switching control unit which controls setting of the switching unit in one of the first state and the second state in response to a control signal sent by the data processing device when the ringer signal is detected.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a computer readable medium storing program code for causing a processor to execute a ringing sound control processing on a communication control device in a communication support system which is adapted to connect a telephone unit through a transmission path of the communication control device to a telephone network and adapted to connect a data processing device through the communication control device to the telephone network, the computer readable medium comprising: first program code instructions which cause the processor to detect a ringer signal from the telephone network by using a ringer detection unit; and second program code instructions which cause the processor to control setting of a switching unit in one of a first state and a second state by using a switching control unit in response to a control signal sent by the data processing device when the ringer signal is detected.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a computer readable medium storing program code for causing a first processor to execute a determination processing on the data processing device in the communication support system in parallel with the ringing sound control processing, the computer readable medium comprising program code instructions which cause the first processor to determine, in response to the detection of the ringer signal by the ringer detection unit, whether the switching unit is to be set in one of the first state and the second state in accordance with first switching control data stored in the data processing device.
In the communication support system of the present invention, a ringing sound control processing routine and a determination processing routine are carried out in parallel. It is possible for the communication support system of the present invention to effectively control the ringing sound on/off of the telephone unit in response to the call from the telephone network. In one embodiment of the communication support system of the present invention, it is possible to set the ringing sound output of the telephone unit in an OFF state and perform an answering machine function when the ringer signal is sent from the telephone network to the telephone unit at midnight.
In the communication support system of the present invention, one of various ringing sound control processing routines and one of various determination processing routines are carried out by the communication control device and the data processing device in parallel. It is possible for the communication support system of the present invention to effectively control the telephone unit so as to ring out by a specified one of a plurality of special ringer patterns in response to the call from the telephone network.